


The Walk-up [Chapter One]

by bobasheebaby



Series: Cordonian Ruby [2]
Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, Bradshaw is a fucking tyrant, Decapitation, F/M, Fluff, heads on pikes, mention of decapitation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:55:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23922682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bobasheebaby/pseuds/bobasheebaby
Summary: Ruby’s first birthday. Minor insight into the changes Cordonia faces.
Relationships: Bastien/Olivia Nevrakis
Series: Cordonian Ruby [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1724443
Comments: 6
Kudos: 1





	The Walk-up [Chapter One]

Bastien tugged his warm pea coat tighter around his body as the air whipped the rain around him. With each step on the worn pavement he silently cursed not grabbing an umbrella before leaving the apartment. _What I really need is a fucking raincoat._

The past year had brought them many places, going by many names. They never stayed in one place for long, the fear of being tracked kept them moving, and always with an escape plan. For the past six weeks they’d called Seattle home. It wasn’t home, and it would never feel like it, but it was a safe place they could just live without worry.

Here they go by Carol and John Taylor. Next, Olivia will pick their fake names. It didn't matter because they knew who they really were.

His feet pounded against the stairs to the walkup apartment they shared, his hands carefully cradling a small cake covered in pinks and reds.

After six weeks in Seattle, he could venture out and make it home quickly. He knew all the shortcuts. He knew how they got there and where they would leave to.

\- - -

Olivia’s finger hovered over the link, was she ready to see in words and possibly pictures the truth she already knew? Was she ready to see in ‘print’ what had become of her nation, her duchy since she fled like a coward instead of staying and fighting like a Nevrakis warrior? _Your ancestors would be ashamed to call you kin. I left to save the kingdom. I can do more to help raising the heir than I could dead._

She swallowed as her finger pressed on the link. _Let’s see how bad it is._

She already was aware that she wouldn’t recognize her own nation. Everything that could help Bradshaw fund his own foolish endeavors had been stripped from the land. She knew that the people were forced to serve Auvernal, they had three choices: work in his army, work the land, or live in squalor.

Her emerald eyes widened as she saw the name on the byline of the underground Cordonian news. _Ana DeLuca? Who knew she had it in her._

> _**REIGN OF TERROR** _

> _Today marks one year since our nation should have gone into a period of mourning. Instead of being granted time to grieve our beloved king and queen and their unborn heir we were served the heads of our slain leaders on spikes._

> _Those who saw the gruesome sight outside the palace gates first hand fell to their knees driven to tears. They said the queen and king were hardly recognizable, but they knew in their bones: it was them._

> _There have been some whispered reports that while our fallen queen had reportedly fallen prey to wolves that many do not believe our case to be truly hopeless. Could the heir be out there somewhere waiting to take flight and reclaim our fallen nation? Could the Valtorian Phoenix rise once again?_

Olivia looked up from her tablet as she heard familiar soft steps behind her. “There’s my little princess!” Olivia cooed placing her tablet down.

“Is it really smart to call her that? We are trying to go undetected.”

“We’re in America, it’d be weirder for a little girl to not be called princess here.” She looked at the blonde-haired, sapphire eyed baby she’d been pretending was her own. “Isn’t that right Ruby? Everyone’s a princess here.”

Ruby leaned forward, her chubby hands reaching for Olivia. “Mama.”

Olivia pulled the little girl into her arms, a brief sadness flashed in her emerald eyes.

To everyone around them, she was Ruby’s mother. She felt guilty that she must parade a friend’s child as her own, but they needed the heir to survive.

She looked down at Ruby, a smile once again gracing her lips. “That’s right princess, now let’s go celebrate with cake.”

\- - -

Ruby’s sapphire eyes sparkled with wonder and excitement as she shoved her cake covered meaty fist into her mouth. Her eyes widened as the sweet vanilla buttercream melted on her tongue with an explosion of flavor.

Bastien and Olivia laughed as they watched Ruby shove fistfuls of cake and icing in her mouth.

“Is it good pumpkin?”

“Dada!” Ruby replied leaning forward in her high chair, her hands full of smushed cake.

Olivia took a careful step back as Bastien leaned forward. “Yes baby girl, share with papa.”

Ruby’s cake coated hands reached up to Bastien’s face, her hands smearing cake into his beard.

Olivia let out a loud laugh as she watched Ruby paint his face with cake and icing.

Bastien turned his steely eyes sparkling with mischief. “I think mama wants some too.”

Olivia shook her head. “No mama doesn’t.”

“Mama!” Ruby squealed reaching for Olivia.

“You don’t want to make the birthday princess cry do you?”

She mouthed ‘low blow’ to him as she took a hesitant step forward. He knew she could never say no to Ruby, she’d lost everything already Olivia would give her all that she could. She let out a shriek as Bastien wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her into his lap. Ruby squealed, her feet kicking as she reached for her mama’s face, her cake coated fingers grabbing a fistful of hair and smearing icing on her cheek.

For one day they felt like the family they pretended to be. They weren’t on the run hiding from a tyrant. They were just them, and for that moment it was all they needed.

\- - -

Olivia pulled the door to the small bedroom shut behind her with a soft click. “She’s finally asleep.”

“She had a big day.” Bastien smiled as images of their day played in his head. “Actually I’m surprised she wasn’t more worn out.”

A small smile played on her lips. “I think she was too excited to be worn out. It was nice being able to pamper and treat her like the royalty she is for one day.”

He pulled his lips into a thin line. He knew she wasn’t exactly happy with the way we’re forced to live, he knew if she could she’d spoil Ruby with all the luxuries of the world. “Well, we need to be careful, Bradshaw—”

“Bradshaw and his men won’t find us here, we were careful.” She crossed the small living room to the window looking out the third story window.

They had used multiple false identities while traveling, never using one persona more than once. She’d cut her hair into a chin-length bob and dyed it a deep auburn to help keep them hidden. They were safe.

Her lips curved down as she stared out the window, watching the rain silently hit the windows. Rain, it was nearly always raining. She missed the cold, the snow. She missed being able to hunt on her own land and eat fresh meat. She hated going to the store and speaking to a man in a bloodstained apron who knew less about cuts of meat than she did. She hated that she had to purchase meat that smelled faintly of bleach.

She missed Cordonia.

“Why did we have to stay here? It’s always raining.” She placed her hand on the cold windowpane, closing her eyes trying to imagine she was home. “We could have chosen Boston, or Montreal, somewhere where it gets more snow than rain.”

“There are multiple escape routes, easier if we have to pick up and leave.”

She nodded, she didn’t like it, but he was right. Her comfort wasn’t as important as their safety. They just needed to keep Ruby safe, _hopefully, we’ll still have a home to return to._


End file.
